NCW Expecting Near-Triple-Digit Temps This Weekend
Residents and visitors in North Central Washington should prepare for a taste of mid-summer temperatures over the weekend ahead.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Spokane is forecasting highs in the mid-90s for Saturday, and upper-90s on Sunday.
NWS meteorologist Rachael Fewkes says the unseasonably-hot weather will be produced by an air mass that's currently off the Pacific Coast.
"We have a ridge of high pressure that's currently sitting off shore that's going to be slowly moving inland. As it does, temperatures around the state are going to gradually warm by three to five degrees each day."
Forecasters say Wenatchee is line for a high of 95 degrees on Saturday, and will come within five degrees of a record high for Sunday at 98.
The hot spell is expected to carry over into early next week but be relatively short-lived, with daytime highs returning closer to seasonal norms by next Wednesday.
Fewkes says winds should be light throughout the brief stretch of heat, so fire dangers in the region shouldn't become too elevated.
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Gallery Credit: Aly